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Time to Freshen Up Your Design System?
Design systems take time to build. The speed, efficiency, and consistency they bring only begin to shine once you’ve developed a solid foundation of reusable components. But as your organization evolves, so do your needs.
7/25/2025
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Just when your design system hits its stride, your branding may start to feel dated, or you find yourself struggling to implement new ideas with the tools you have. So, what’s next?
Enter the strategic design audit.
Okay, maybe “audit” doesn’t sound thrilling. But think of it as the digital equivalent of spring cleaning—clearing out the clutter, identifying what still works, and making room for what’s next. A design audit typically unfolds in three stages:
1. Look Back: Review What You’ve Got
Start by taking stock of your current components. What’s being used? What’s gathering dust?
Has that testimonial block been sitting idle? It might be redundant—or just in need of a tweak so it works without a photo or fits better into editorial layouts. Is the two-column block getting used disproportionately? That could point to a lack of layout variety. Maybe it’s time to add more flexible layout options that give editors better ways to tell their stories.
The goal here is to understand what’s working, what’s not, and what could be improved to better support real-world usage.
2. Health Check: Fix the Little Things
Websites are living systems. They grow, shift, and evolve. With each update, small issues can creep in—broken styles, alignment glitches, missing states. These minor bugs may not feel urgent, but over time they erode the polish and performance of your design system.
Think of this step as preventative care: tidying up the little things before they snowball into bigger ones.
3. Look Ahead: Align with What’s Next
Your content strategy might have shifted. Maybe your branding just went through a refresh. Or perhaps your audience's expectations have evolved.
A good design audit doesn’t just look backward—it helps you anticipate the future. What new components might you need? What gaps are holding your team back? With a clear picture of your current state, you can make smarter decisions about what to build next—without reinventing the CTA block. Again.
So, before diving into your next site update, pause and take a fresh look. A well-timed audit can help you evolve your design system with purpose—and recapture that sense of excitement and clarity that comes with a good spring cleaning.
Now if only redesigning that spare room were this straightforward...